Story Of Iti

Prologue: This story is a work of fiction inspired by some real-life incidents. The name of the characters within and the events are out of the pure imagination of the author. The story of the tribes is historical facts. Any resemblance to real-life characters and life events is purely coincidental and unintentional. 

Iti was a tribal girl. Her tribe was Munda. Oraon was the tribe from where her mother had come. There are many tribes in our country. 

Iti had learnt from her parents that the many tribals of India were the original inhabitants of the country. The other citizens that are the non-tribals are the later addition to the populace whose ancestors had migrated from various parts of Central Asia. 

Iti was very passionate about her heritage and culture. Though she came from a very poor family, she ensured to complete her school education. Because she knew that education would help drive her passion for knowing her roots. It was really a big drag for her father to pay for her way through college although primary education was free. It was really heartbreaking for Iti to trudge her way through the years of her primary and secondary schooling. Although her parents wanted Iti to continue with her education it seemed impossible for them, with both being marginal labourers with no fixed income. Traditionally girls did not go beyond primary school in the tribal society. Because they were the marginalised and backward section of society. Even after independence, the tribals of the country were fighting for their rights. 

For, Iti, the fight was more for not only being a tribal but for also being a woman. When Iti could read well and got access to a library, she would delve into the history of the tribals of the nation. She wanted to do something for her tribal society. She read about the rich culture and heritage of the many tribes of India, the Santhals, Bhil, Konds, etc. She read about the celebrated tribal chief Birsa Munda, who fought against the British in the years 1899-1900 to establish the rights of their tribe. He fought for ownership of the tribal land which the British had abolished. Ultimately, Munda was hanged but later on, his death paved the way for the ownership rights of the tribal people to be restored. Then there was the famous Santhal Revolt in 1855 - 56, where the Santhals fought against the East India Company. The Santhals fought bravely with bows and arrows against the British cannons. They were largely outnumbered but their sacrifices people remember with sympathy and pride. Then followed the First war of Independence. 

Iti read of another tribal uprising of the Kols and Bhils. The Kols were in revolt from 1820 - 1837 against the invasive and exploitative land and economic policies of the East India Company. The Bhils rose in rebellion in 1818 to fight against the colonial masters for their forest rights. The battle went on for a decade. 

Iti was very fascinated with the glorious history of the tribes of the country who made a significant contribution to the independence of her country. But then she would lament that even after a half-century of her country's independence, the plight of the tribals was the same as they were before independence. There was a lack of education and people remained ignorant and illiterate. Iti wanted to make a big change to all this when she saw that the other sections of the society around her were doing so well and progressing. 

But all her wishes remained a big dream. For not being able to support her further education, Iti was married off in her teenage years to another member of her tribal clan. His name was Sidu he was from the Munda clan. Much to her chagrin, Iti had to discontinue her education and start looking after her household. With Sidu, Iti got on well and an initial couple of years were good and happy. Sidu was a logistic worker and earned well. But soon he fell into bad ways and began drinking. Iti tried her best to stop him from the beaten track to the path of reformation. But she failed miserably. She lost Sidu in a road accident and as if this tragedy was not enough. She had to lose her unborn child very soon due to a miscarriage. Then began a life of tumult, turmoil and uncertainty laced with tragedy. 

With the passing away of Sidu, Iti became absolutely lonely. Even her parents home remained alien to her now. Slowly, she started to pick up the straws of her scattered life and tried to bring back some sort of order to it. With her faith in her isth devata, God, she met Hemen, a school teacher. Hemen Mandi, another tribal, inspired Iti to again commence her incomplete studies. With his financial support, she got enrolled in a college. Hemen helped her with their studies, and slowly a bonding grew between them. Hemen found Iti to be hard working and intelligent. Iti found Hemen to be honest and trustworthy. As their friendship grew so grew the animosity amongst her neighbours. They were not liking the frequent meeting of the two souls, Iti and Hemen and walked down boldly through the neighbourhood side by side. This was against the accepted social norms. Hemen's relatives were especially enraged. Iti had no one to answer except her neighbours. Her neighbours did not have the courage to face up to her so they passed abhorring comments behind her back but ensured to make it audible for Iti to hear. Hemen's parents and other elders gave him a good dressing down to Hemen. This would result in the two avoiding meeting in the open for the next few days till the heat of the event died down. 

Then again they would start seeing each other. Because Hemen and Iti met to discuss matters in Academia. At the college library, both sat down with books. Hemen mentored Iti who now had completed her Master's and seeking admission for Doctoral studies. This was a first for a tribal girl. Hemen already a PhD was an assistant professor in that college. But tribal menfolk had already started driving the numbers of doctoral candidates. So was there just friendship or more of admiration between the two it was difficult to tell? But it was sure that both enjoyed each other's company. 

However, the general public got peeved for this non-show of fear and respect for norms. So they decided and planned their next move 

'' Arey, where are you two going and why are you together ? '' shouted out a rough hoarse voice. Iti looked up fearfully and Hemen was startled by the pitch of the sound. They looked at the familiar faces of two street rowdies Deka and Kela. Everyone feared them and none dared cross their paths. '' Immediately, disperse and go your separate ways and never show up together, '' warned Kela with a grim note. 

Fearing reprisals, Hemen and Iti now met secretly rather in a clandestine manner away from the public glare. Because they had to meet to discuss their common interests. Iti had taken up the subject of the history of tribes of the country as her doctoral thesis and Hemen had been assigned as her mentor. Iti had now got the opportunity to take classes and do a teaching jobs and started to earn. She was very happy and grateful to Hemen who had inspired her and showed her a new life. 

Hemen was under pressure from his family to marry. But Hemen would marry no one except Iti and his family would not accept her as his wife. Because Iti was a widow and also from a very poor background and there would be no dowry from her side. Marrying a widow was still a social taboo. Hemen did not believe in all this. 

Hemen's family called the village panchayat to decide on Iti's punishment and Hemen's marriage. A meeting of the village elders was called. Hemen and Iti were also summoned. Hemen and Iti were asked to put forward their case. Both expressed their desire to marry each other with the vehement opposition from Hemen's family. Iti had no one from her side to support her as her parents had died and she was without any relatives. Hemen's family brought gifts of sacks of rice and potatoes for the panchayat members as a token of gift or graft. The Panchayat gave the two lovers two months to decide their fate otherwise they would have to honour what the panchayat ordered them to do. Luckily, Iti completed her doctoral studies and submitted her dissertation within this period and was awarded the PhD degree, a first for the women of the tribes. Again the Panchayat assembled, this time at the behest of the government bidding to honour this rare feat of a tribal girl. 

Soon, Iti was offered an assistant professorship job at a university in the capital city Abantipur which was about a hundred kilometres distant. 

Both Iti and Hemen were very happy with this news. But nothing was decided on their marriage. 

One fine morning Iti woke up to see that the streets around her house were deserted. She found no one to satisfy her query. Then she found a local shopkeeper closing his shop hurriedly and running to the village centre. The shopkeeper on seeing Iti shouted out to her to come to the village centre because there was a commotion going on there and it was to concern Iti. 

Iti was curious what could have been waiting for her at the village centre. She knew that there was an iron tower in the centre and above it sat perched a metal tank which supplied water to the villager's homes. This had been a recently upgraded service in the village. So Iti also took hurried steps to the village centre. There she found a huge crowd gathered at the foot of the water tank tower and a man standing atop the tower. There was a lot of noise and commotion. The people were shouting at the man to come down but the man would not listen. He shouted out loud that he would come down only if his wish was fulfilled. His wish was to marry the girl of his choice and that was Iti. Then Iti recognised the man atop the tower to be Hemen and from his behaviour, he looked inebriated. She was surprised to recognise him and immediately remembered a scene from a popular Bollywood cinema. Hemen was shouting out the same dialogues that the popular hero had shouted out. The villagers were pleading with Hemen to come down. Hemen promised to come down only if his wish was fulfilled and his wish was to marry Iti. But his family was not allowing the marriage. Hemen's family members were also gathered there. The crowd then turned attention toward Hemen's family and put pressure on them to agree to Hemen's wishes. But the family members were not ready to accept this pleading of Hemen. Hearing this refusal, Hemen then became over dramatic and told the crowd below that he would jump down. The crowd became more animated and there was absolute chaos prevailing all around. Vehemently the crowd was asking the family to relent and agree to Hemen's wishes. After a lot of deliberations, the family agreed to allow the marriage to be solemnised. Then Hemen came down finally. There was a happy ending after all. 

Iti was much relieved and happy with the development. Finally, she would marry her hero. Hemen had made her feel so important in life that never anyone had given her so much attention. She was thanking her stars and her God to have blessed her with such a beautiful person as a husband. Later Hemen had confided to Iti, that Hemen was forced to enact this drama to get his desire fulfilled otherwise no one would listen. Iti would smile listening to this strange idea of Hemen and then both would enjoy a good laugh. 

There was however a twist that no one knew. One day again those two criminals Deka and Kela accosted her. Iti was returning from college when she was dragged, gagged and put inside a deserted hut with her hands tied behind her. She could not shout. Only when inside did she see Deka and Kela. She was frozen with fear. What are they up to now, she thought. She began to get worried as Hemen would be wondering where she had gone and not be able to see her. 

Deka and Kela were not clear about what they should do with Iti. '' You must give us word that you would not be marrying Hemen if you feared for your life,'' Deka said threateningly. He further said that if she did not respond then they would take her away and shift her to a different location. 

Hemen had a pet dog a lab who was a loving creature and a favourite of Iti. He was behaving restlessly when Hemen came home. Then he kept on tugging at his trousers and induced Hemen to follow him. Having an idea that Iti may be in danger, Hemen first took his dog to the Police station. There he narrated his story and then left with two constables and his dog in tow. Very soon Iti was tracked down and all barged into the hut. Deka and Kela were taken by surprise and before they could take any action they were handcuffed. Iti was freed. Hemen's family had hired them to threaten Iti so that she would leave Hemen for good. However, what a weird way to woo one's loved one. Hemen had become really desperate. Iti considered myself very fortunate. 

In a few days, Hemen married Iti and both moved to their new location. Now there was a Happy period for Iti and she led a peaceful and contended life with Hemen. She became a mother to a son and daughter. Now was a time of calm and consolidation in the life of Iti. Both Hemen and Iti both became full-fledged professors in their respective colleges. Hemen was soon made a vice Principal. Whereas Iti became the Principal of a women's college. How Iti's parents would have been proud to see their Iti progress so much in life. Due to the parent's academic advancement, the son and daughter were also growing into good academics. Iti became a versatile person. Her expertise extended into the administration sphere. She was incentivised to join politics to serve her tribal people to make a significant change in their lives. She contested the Panchayat election and won. As a Pradhan, she did a good job to attract the notice of her seniors. Next, she became a legislator by contesting the assembly elections. Her opponents were just wiped away in front of her popularity. Her work was predetermined. Their sole object of hers was to uplift the status of the tribal population of the country and bring it to par with the mainstream. 

As a legislator, Iti did a stellar job. She was now a bright star in the constellation of the assembly. Now her objective was to gain knowledge of the working of the executive and the constitution. She always found the support of Hemen in her endeavours. Her constant yearning for knowledge helped her in her work. She got the prestigious award of the best legislator. Her success in her professional life was sure and secure. 

But now came the most difficult time in her personal life. The life which she had been enjoying in the company of her loving husband and children. Her children had now grown up and were at various stages in college. Her son would graduate soon and her daughter was studying to be a teacher like her. 

All of a sudden a repeat of her past life came to haunt Iti. As in the past, she was subjected to torment in her life again now. All of a sudden her fully grown son met with a horrible road accident and passed away before he could be taken to the hospital. At the hospital, the doctors proclaimed that he has been brought dead. The shock of the death of a fully grown son was too much to bear for the Hemen and Iti couple. Hemen went into a deep depression and hardly recovered. Slowly Hemen continued to perish and marched ahead to a slow and painful death. Any amount of Medical help could not resuscitate Hemen. Finally, Iti got the second jolt of her life. She lost her beloved husband Hemen, the person who had stood like a pillar in her tormented life. Had it not been for Hemen, it would have been doubtful for Iti to have reached this stage in her life where she was now. All her accolades and recognition were all due to the platform which Hemen had built for Iti to climb. Iti was really inconsolable. Her daughter, Ahalya now a fully grown lady was always by her mother's side. She had become a teacher like her mother. But the loss in the life of Iti was too horrendous and too deep to comprehend. Her life continued to flounder like a ship in a tossed-up stormy sea. Sometimes calm and then stormy again. Outwardly she remained calm and continued with all her official duties with utmost devotion and dedication but inwardly she was shattered like a ship wrecked mariner marooned on a barren island. 

Then, Iti came across a spiritual organisation where she took refuge. With the help of this institution and by the regimen of a spiritual revival program slowly, Iti came back to her original self forgetting her personal tragedies and leaving them as scars of her past life. 

In further development, the whole tribal people of the nation were tremendously enthused when it was announced by the government that Madam Iti Mandi would be the next President of the country. Being a woman and representing the tribal community she was unanimously elected as the first Adivasi President of the nation. The opposition parties supported her along with the ruling party and didn't go for a contest. She became the consensus candidate due to the sensitivity and uniqueness of her status. Almost ten per cent of the tribal commune of the nation were thanking their stars that at least they had found their representative. 

This is the story of our beloved Iti. The people saluted the indomitable spirit of this brave tribal woman. Country folks knew their destiny was in safe pair of hands.